'Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings'

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/2009/06/08/2009-06-08_indiana_jones_whips_into_action.html

Monday, June 8th 2009
Video Game Review
'Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings'
Indiana Jones whips into action with top-notch 'Staff of Kings'
By Michael Sheridan
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

The man in the hat is back... again... and like the old days he's battling Nazis in a race to find a fabled religious artifact.

It's not the fifth film that fans may hope for - or depending on how you felt about the last movie, dreading. Instead, it's the latest video game starring the famous archeologist, "Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings."

This new adventure features a fully functional Indiana Jones in his first third-person adventure since 2003's "Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb." And while this outing is not available on the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360, it does give Wii users a unique chance to crack their whip and punch out henchmen.

Set in 1939 (that's a year after "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," for those Indy fans keeping a timeline on his adventures), the game spans the globe, from the jungles of South America to the snowy peaks of Tibet, as Dr. Jones searches for the Staff of Moses. Players battle the aforementioned Nazis, as well as an array of hired guns. But who you fight is not nearly as entertaining as how you fight them.

Developers really added some clever touches to the game's fight sequences, allowing you to take down bad guys with well delivered punches, or anything that might be laying around.

Grab a pool ball and send it flying across the room to take down a henchman, or perhaps snatch a wrench and crack it over the head of an opponent. You can also grab hold of a Nazi stooge and slam his head into a table, or even a fish tank (sending water everywhere, giving you a chance to grab a fish and toss it at an approaching bully).

You also get opportunities to pull out Indiana's trusty revolver and blast baddies with that trademark gunshot sound only found in Indiana Jones films.

Of course, we can't forget the whip action. This trusty tool can be used to trip up a villain, or pull a bookshelf down over him. You can also use it to swing over gaps and climb steep walls.

In addition to the main game, the Wii version of "Staff of Kings" is highlighted by a challenging co-op mode that has Indy battle Nazis alongside his father, in an adventure that is completely independent from the main game. You need to work together to solve puzzles, drive tanks and fly a fighter as you race to recover rare South American artifacts.

Old-school gamers will also get a chance to relive an old Indy adventure, "Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis," a PC game from 1992. When you take a gander at the low grade, VGA graphics, you will no doubt appreciate just how far video games have come in the last 17 years.

This is not to say that all is perfect with this game. "Staff of Kings" is hampered by disjointed storytelling. Although some could argue it's tale is more true to the roots of Indiana Jones than 2008's feature film, the lack of effective cut scenes and a far from fluid narrative proved a bit disappointing.

But the game strives to make up for it with its clever, and often challenging game play. "Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings" celebrates Indy with every obstacle, and puts you in the leather jacket and fedora like never before.